Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2012-2013 (archived)
Module CLAS42030: THE PRESERVATION AND TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION IN THE
ANCIENT WORLD
Department: Classics and Ancient History
CLAS42030:
THE PRESERVATION AND TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION IN THE
ANCIENT WORLD
Type |
Open |
Level |
4 |
Credits |
30 |
Availability |
Available in 2012/13 |
Module Cap |
None. |
Prerequisites
- Work in Classical Literature and/or Ancient History at Level 3.
Corequisites
Excluded Combination of Modules
Aims
- In accordance with the general aims of the MA in Classics, to
promote self-motivated and self-directed research in a specific aspect
of the ancient world, i.e. the means and strategies for the preservation and transmission of information in the ancient world. Moreover, in accordance with the specific aims of the MA in Greece, Rome and the Near East, to foreground attention to cultural differences and specificities through a comparative approach.
Content
- The focus of the course will be on the preservation and
transmission of information in ancient Greece, Rome and the Near East,
looked at under a comparative angle. Topics include the organization of
archives and libraries; oral communication and epistolary writing; and
epigraphical displays. The source material considered includes clay
tablets, inscriptions, papyri, ostraca, archaeological remains, and
literary sources. The overall interpretive approach will be centred on
socio-cultural and historical issues, with a special emphasis on the
correlation between particular 'storage systems' and the societies that
cultivated them.
Learning Outcomes
- close knowledge of a wide range of questions (and
archaeological sites) linked to the preservation of ancient documents,
as well as of literary, papyrological and epigraphical documents;
- a rich understanding of the importance of archival practices
and communication strategies in the ancient Mediterranean and the Near
East;
- appreciation of the methodological questions raised by the
study of this type of material.
- Students will need to develop the historical and philological
skills relevant to the analytic evaluation of a wide range of sources.
They will be challenged to construct plausible arguments about complex
historical data and develop a wide variety of skills to do with the
sophisticated understanding of cultural production (such as the
emergence and evolution of a literary genre, transmission and canonization, textual hermeneutics, the functioning of oral and
written communication, the relationship between ideology and media of
communication).
- The analytical and interpretative skills required for the successful completion of this module are transferable to any field which demands sophisticated understanding of texts and their meaning
and the construction of plausible arguments about historical and
literary evidence.
- It also requires the effective use of library and IT resources and good written presentation skills.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to
the learning outcomes of the module
- Teaching will be in classes, in which the time will be split
between survey introductory lectures given by the instructor, and
student presentations based on in-depth individual research. Assessment
will take the form of one formative essay (c. 2500 words), based on an
in-class presentation, and to be handed in early in Epiphany Term; and one summative essay (5000 words) based on a second in-class
presentation, to be handed in in Easter Term. Classes and introductory lectures
will help the students to orient themselves in the field; student
presentations offer the opportunity for early and constructive feedback
before the written assignments are due; formative essay after Christmas
ensures writing practice and early written feedback, in good time for it
to be of use for the summative work.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
Activity |
Number |
Frequency |
Duration |
Total/Hours |
|
Classes |
8 |
fortnightly |
2 |
16 |
Preperation and Reading |
|
|
|
284 |
Total |
|
|
|
300 |
Summative Assessment
Component: Long essay |
Component Weighting: 100% |
Element |
Length / duration |
Element Weighting |
Resit Opportunity |
Essay |
5,000 words |
100% |
|
One formative essay (c. 2500 words), based on an in-class presentation, and to be handed in early in Epiphany Term
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University